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l Teen boys are cutting back on their use of traditional colognes as inexpensive body sprays sold through mass retailers grab hold of their attention. The NPD Group’s Men’s FragranceTrack 2006 study finds that usage of cologne is down sharply among teens. According to NPD’s survey, the number of teens (13-17) wearing cologne dropped 18 percentage points in just one year. In 2006, 59% of teens ages 13-15 told NPD they wear cologne, down from 81% in 2005. For older teens, ages 16 and 17, 68% said they wear cologne, a drop from 80% in 2005.
“The so-called ‘Axe Effect’ is being seen across the men’s fragrance industry. Body spray products like Axe and Tag are attracting the younger market with their creative advertising and low price points of around $5,” said Karen Grant, senior beauty industry analyst with The NPD Group. “Their strategy has been very direct. These brands are using MTV, interactive websites and ads within video games to talk directly to teen boys about the universal theme of ‘boy meets girl, ” added Ms. Grant.
Opportunities exist in the prestige market to connect with males at an earlier age to use colognes, not just body sprays. While a large percentage of males in the younger age groups are leaving the cologne category, NPD’s FragranceTrack finds that eight out of ten men ages 25 to 44 years old wear fragrances, the primary age group that prestige fragrances target. More info: www.npd.com.